Home for Dinner
by Rhi Marzano
Summary: An April narrated fic, breaking off from #7 into what could have been. Not for the canon obsessed.
1. [fork]

Pg 99 of Gateway to the Gods  
I went to my bed, freshly made of course, fell into it, and stared blankly at the walls for awhile. I didn't feel anything. Not yet. But I sensed that within me, something was building. Something big. A wave that would sooner or later crash down on me and sweep me away.

[fork]

I was on the verge of sleep when the door opened.

"Oops," said a soft voice.

It was a young girl who must have been 5'8" and a size 1. Now, I'm no midget or a chunky, but this girl made me a bit uncomfortable. She was lithe and pretty, delicate, like a flower.

"I wasn't supposed to wake you up," she apologized, smiling. "But my mother sent me to heal you up a bit. By the way, I'm Persephone."

"I'm not hurt," I protested sleepily.

"The green blood on your dress is Hetwan, I'll grant you that," she said gently, "but the red is yours."

Persephone... Persephone... I tried to dig back in my mind through all the crap I had learned in freshman Honors English about Greek Mythology.

She continued attending to my little wounds when I sat straight up and knocked her off the bed. (Accident... I think...)

"Aren't you the goddess of the underworld?" I demanded.

The goddess's face visibly flinched.

Okay, so I maybe shouldn't have said it. But here, the goddess of the underworld was tending to my boo-boos and I'm just supposed to go, "Thanks for the bandaid, can you call my mommy so she can kiss it and make it better?"

"I'm only Hades's queen for half the year," Persephone said softly, getting up from the floor. "Right now I am simply Demeter's daughter."

The rest of the myth came rushing back to me. Something about some kidnapping and some pomegranite seeds forced Persephone to spend 6 months as the bride of Zeus's brother, and the other 6 at Olympus.

"Doesn't it bother you to switch back and forth between two worlds?" I asked.

Although whether I was asking her or myself was debatable.

"At first, it was hard," she admitted. "But after awhile, I wouldn't give up either. My mother and my husband make each worthwhile."

"It's not like that for me," I insisted. "I belong in the Old World. All my ties are there. I am not connected at all to Everworld."

"That's too bad," the girl-goddess said genuinely. "Maybe my mother can help you."

Demeter? Goddess of Agriculture? Yeah, maybe she could saddle me with a cornfield.

Quietly she removed herself from the room, leaving a scent of lavender behind.

I was asleep in no time.

* * *

Rain?

A thousand images flooded my mind before I realized that I was with Magda and Alison, shopping at Old Orchard Mall despite the grizzly drizzle.

"I look like a drowned rat," Alison complained as she caught sight of her self in a mirror while we walked into Pacific Sunwear. "What if Jeremy sees me?"

"Jeremy," Magda pronounced with excellent diction, "Is gay. Did you see him with Ethan last week?"

I paused my rummaging through the racks of Roxy. "Come on, I just heard he asked out Tyra last Tuesday." Funny how I remembered Tyra telling me that in World Civics even though I wasn't actually there.

"Bi," Magda amended with a grin, then turned to me and said with a stage whisper, "You know, Jeremy wants me."

"I thought you just said he was gay," I replied, eying a green shirt with a cute little monkey on it.

"I was just trying not to hurt Ali's feelings," she grinned.

Alison shoved Magda into the clearance rack and laughed. The laughter became contagious and we went up to the cash register with our chosen products.

This was where I belonged. This was where my life was.

Isn't it?

* * *

Awake so soon? I had barely gotten any sleep. I lifted an arm to wipe my crusty eyes, but found the path blocked.

...

Quickly I blinked, yanked my arm, cleared my eyes and surveyed my surroundings.

1. I was not entirely clothed.

2. David was in my bed and not entirely clothed either.

3. His arm was across my chest.

"Aaaaaaaaaah!" I screamed, pushing him on the floor. "Pervert! Molester! Donkey!"

The cold stone floor did little good to his wits. His eyes were bleary looking as he mumbled, "April?" Or it least it sounded like he was trying to say April. It came out more like, "mmammmpril?"

I clutched the sheet to my shoulders. "You idiot! Just because you're General Davideus now does _not_ mean you can just pillage the women!"

"What's the problem, sugar?" a syrupy voice asked.

Aphrodite sauntered into the room.

Aphrodite was the embodiment of slutness, even more so than Britney Spears, and what she was wearing this morning was so ungodly tight that I wondered if she was going to fall out of it.

"You had the perfect opportunity," she said disgustedly. "And instead of taking advantage of it, you push it away."

And then I understood.

"You," I spat. "This was all your doing."

"Well, not entirely," Aphrodite smiled modestly. "Demeter actually suggested it."

"I can't believe this," I seethed. "You actually thought this was a good idea?"

Drawling, Aphrodite responded, "What girl wouldn't love a tumble with the hero of the hour?"

"_I_ wouldn't!" I shot back. "Sex is for marriage! I'd like to remain a virgin until then! Or is that too hard for your overactive sex drive to comprehend?"

"Maybe," the goddess replied with an arched eyebrow, "you can't appreciate a good thing until you've lost your chance."

We stared each other down with daggers in our eyes. How could two beings be so different? Goddess and girl, but still should that account for all of the opposition? Here I was, practically naked save for a sheet and embarresed for it, and there she was, practically naked save for that scrap of cloth she calls a dress and she was reveling in it. How in the world was it possible?

"Slut," I muttered.

"Prude," she drawled back.

With that She slinked out of the room, leaving me staring.

"That is it. That. is. it," I declared, waving my arms. David stared dumfoundedly. "I'm sick of this. They're manipulating us, and frankly, I'm not going to take it anymore. Let's find Senna, I'm going home."

"Uh-huh," David said distractedly.

What was wrong with him? I didn't even get a protest. Was he half-way asleep? He _had_ been working hard, I suppose. I cleared my throat. "So, where do we look?"

"Circe would know," said Jalil from the hallway.

Christopher followed him in. "Hey, April," he smirked. "Nice hooters."

My cheeks flamed as I realized I had dropped my protective sheet. "Out! Out! All of you!"

When they were out, I found my freshly washed clothes by my bed. I started dressing, wincing at some of the deeper sores on my body that Persephone hadn't been able to heal. My eyes fell on all the stains of blood on that once perfectly white bed.

"How," I whispered, on the verge of tears, "has my life come to this?"

* * *

"To save time," David announced as soon as I had rejoined the boys, "we will be taking Pegasus."

"So who's this Circe chick?" I asked, trying to put away the intense fear of riding a mutant fatasy while David prepared the mounts.

"A witch," said Jalil.

"Like Senna?"

"Sort of, but not really. Circe's a little more seasoned, from what I can gather, but she lives on her own island and rarely ventures out."

"And how will she know where Senna is?"

"I guess if you have the talent, you can sense where other people have the talent are. Like a radar, to warn you of anyone who could kick your butt."

It made sense. But voluntarily going to someone like Senna for help scared me.

"Do we have to ride these beasts, O Mighty Davideous?" Christopher said critically. "I mean, last time, I had a ass cramp for about six hours until that luscious little nymph offered me a massage. And not just a ass cramp, but The ass cramp, the cramp of all cramps-"

"You don't even know what real cramps are," I said, sending him a withering look.

"And yes, we have to," David added. "We cannot go piddle paddling around in a boat to get to Circe's island."

"Piddle paddling? Is that a technical term?" Christopher mocked.

"Someone save me," Jalil sighed, then hopped on his Pegasus.

* * *

I was frozen in terror on top of Pelias. My second time flying and I still couldn't handle it. Horseback riding lessons do absolutely no good when it comes to winged horses. It's totally different- no reigns, no sitting... just balancing yourself on the back of a creature that you hope to god was more intelligent than "Snickers" and wouldn't rear up randomly and throw you off.

Well, Snickers couldn't talk, either.

"You should calm down," Pelias advised.

Yeah, easy for him to say.

The water below freaked me out. It was so huge.. and.. blue... and the patterns of the waves whizzed by as Pelias and the others winged their way across the sky. If I fell, the others wouldn't even be able to see me among the vastness of the sea.

And then, out of nowhere, there it was.

Circe's island.

"Woah," exclaimed Christopher.

Talk about tropical paradise? This was it. Except for it didn't have all of those naked natives. The trees were lush with green, the pristine beach was warm and inviting, and exotic animals peaked from beyond the edge of a hill.

We landed right next to a picturesque flower bush.

"And we thought Olympus was good," Jalil commented.

"Be careful," our mounts warned us. "Don't eat anything."

"Call when you wish to return," Pelias told me.

I nodded distractedly.

They departed and we ventured forward, the sand crunching beneath our feet. Strangely silent were we... no cracks from Christopher, no analyzations from Jalil, nothing from David. It was if we were all in awe of the beauty of the island.

And then the hog appeared.

"Dude, it's a wild hog," Christopher excalimed.

"Are you a naturalist now?" Jalil asked amusedly.

"Um, sure. But dude! I've never seen a pig, just randomly, natural habitat!"

"It's a pig," David said uninterestedly.

"Oh, sure," he said glibly, "I know you see the little porkers at your farm every day, but doesn't it pop your twitzel to see one that isn't being raised for consumption purposes?"

"Ooooookay," I said, and pushed the pig out of the way.

"Ouch," said the pig.

"Pigs," said Jalil in a strained voice, "do not talk."

"Gee, maybe it's not a pig. Why don't you check its genitals and determine its species?" Christopher suggested.

"God, you are psychotic," I spat. I turned to the not-so-wounded pig, and asked politely, "Could you take us to Circe?"

The pig oinked in confirmation and began to waddle in an easterly direction.

"Look at his rolls bouce as he walks," Christopher whispered gleefully.

"Don't torture the messenger pig," Jalil said sternly.

Christopher began to whistle "Old MacDonald."

Before long we were in the doorway of a magnificent palace, with huge pillars lined with vines. The pig trotted over to the side, and oinked pointedly at David to knock.

David's face blanched, but he mustered from that pool of forced manliness enough bravery to reach for the ring on the door.

"Hi there," piped a perky little nymph, wearing pretty much only a green tint to her skin.

"We need to see Circe," I spoke up, as my male companions were not capable of speech.

"Oh, yippee! Would you like to stay for dinner?"

Pelias's warning rang in my head. "I'm afraid we'll have to decline, but thank you," I said politely. "Could we see Circe now?"

The nymph looked slightly disappointed, but nodded. "Come on in. Follow me."

Christopher fondly patted the top of the pig's head. "What a nice pig."

"What a smelly boy," retorted the pig, and punctuated it with an oink.

"I don't smell," Christopher said injuredly as we walked through the foyer-like room.

"Do too," I grinned.

He sniffled, then ducked under a doorway. The other two had to duck, too, but not I. I was unfortunately cursed with a lack of the vertical at birth.

"Welcome to my home," said a high pitched voice expansively. "Would you care for something to drink?"

From the shadows stepped a woman- not as attractive as Aphrodite, but more like Melanie Griffith.

"No thank you," I said for the fiftieth time. "Do I have the honor of being in the presence of Circe?"

Sucking up never hurts, especially since I just insulted part of the local culture.

"Why, yes you do," Circe beamed. "What brings you here?"

Evidentally, it worked.

"We were wondering if you could locate another witch for us," David said in his take-charge voice.

Circe looked him up and down in approval. "Yes, I could."

"Senna," Jalil offered. "Her name is Senna."

For a moment Circe looked constipated. Maybe that was her way of looking thoughtful, but it failed miserably. "On her way here from Olympus," she reported.

"On a broomstick?" Christopher asked.

"No, some type of rug," Circe said in all seriousness.

"How long has she been at Olympus?"Jalil wondered.

"About two months," she replied.

"How is that possible?"

"She got there right after you left."

"We've been gone for about two hours," Jalil said triumphantly, as if he had find the proof to negate her powers.

Circe gave him a sideline look. "You are in the palace of Circe, brain-boy. Time passes here as your mind cannot fathom. You may see the changes of many months on your bodies when you exit."

"Shiiiiiiiiiiiiit," breathed Christopher.

"It's not going to make a whole lot of difference, you know," I told them. "Aside from a whole lot of facial hair."

"Let's just go," David said abruptly. "Senna will be here shortly."

"I agree," Jalil seconded.

"Thanks for the help, Circe," I smiled.

"Can I have the shadowy one?" Circe asked me.

I glanced over at David, who was trying not to tremble.

"Sorry," I said over my shoulder as we headed back towards the foyer, "he's mine."

* * *

The first thing I did when I got out of Circe's palace was vomit.

"The incense," Jalil theorized.

"Seasickness," said Christopher.

"Here's a handkerchief," David said, handing me the object. "Wipe your mouth and lets go."

Another twenty feet led to another emptying of the stomach.

"Flu."

"Food poisoning."

"She hasn't _eaten_ anything, you dork."

"Lack-of-food poisoning."

"That's not even a disease," Jalil sighed. 

"Malnutrition?" Christopher said with a sideways grin.

"Just shut up!" David yelled.

"Testy," I said before I threw up again.

After a few minutes, I was okay. I managed the walk to the shore without any more retching.

She was waiting.

My sister, personification of piercing ice, stood on the shore.

"April's sick," David said in clipped tones. "There's no way we can make her ride a pegasus. We're going to need to use your magic carpet."

"And you defend her, now?" she said bitterly. "You were supposed to be my hero, David."

"We can't risk April getting any sicker," he said stubbornly.

"She's not sick, anyway," she shot back.

"Yep. Returning stomach contents is a perfectly normal biological function," Christopher laughed.

But all of a sudden, I knew what she was hinting at.

"What did you think Demeter would give you, anyway?" she said cryptically. "Obviously she was not thinking on her agricultural levels, April. She involved Aphrodite. Why would that be?"

David turned white as a ghost.

"Because," she smirked, "she also is the goddess of fertility. She didn't give you a flower garden, dear sister. She gave you a child."

"Pregnant?" I tried to say.

And then I looked at David.

"Oh, god," I said, and promptly fainted. 

* * *

-end  
to be continued in home for dinner: part two- spoon  
please read and review  



	2. [spoon]

Home for Dinner Part 2  
[spoon]  
by Rhi Marzano  
[Author's Note: Please read part one first or you'll be horribly lost. I listened to the Utena soundtrack incessantly while writing this, and I would like to thank both Reese and Lee for being instrumental in both making me get off my butt to write and making sure what I wrote wasn't just trash so I could get them to shut up ;) Enjoy]

* * *

I am fat, ugly, and if I was in the real world, this stuff wouldn't be happening to me. The gods at Olympus "felt sorry" for me, that I wasn't attached to Everworld. So, though a little string pulling and a lot of events I don't recall at all, I got pregnant. In the real world? Never happen. I don't drink, I don't smoke, and I definitely don't engage in premarital.. things.

But, thanks, to those wonderful interferers, none of that matters.

For the last month or so, David's been really clingy. You know, "Can I get you some water, April?" and "Are you sure you're okay, April?" and "Do you want me to clean your tennis shoes with my tongue, April?"- that sort of thing. Initially, when I first met him, I wouldn't have expected it. But he's got that whole "I have to be a man" complex, and I guess being a good father is associated with that in his mind. I guess it's nice... having someone willing to listen to any of your complaints and make you as comfortable as possible. Someone for a hug once and a while. Sometimes, in this weird world, it's nice to have someone... there.

Jalil just stares at me like I'm some sort of scientific anomaly, trying to find an explanation. He looks at me like he looks at everything else in Everworld, and I hate that. Women have been having children since almost the beginning of time. I suppose not _every_ pregnancy has occurred by Demeter drugging and Aphrodite having a little fun with the parents though.

"Every pregnancy is different," says my mother.

Not this different.

Pregnant.

It was easy to ignore it when we were coming back to Olympus from Circe's island. Senna had just told me, but I was readily dismissing the morning sickness and extra weight both as too many twinkie like substances at Olympus. Other than David shoving appropriate nutrition at me, it was just as abnormal as usual. But now..

I'm almost in my 9th month.

Must I reiterate? Fat. And. Ugly.

* * *

I opened my eyes, and immediately put my hand to my stomach. Flat. My baby, oh god, my baby-

"April," my mother said curiously, "are you ill?"

Real world. Of course. With an unsteady smile, I replied, "Yeah. Guess the potatoes didn't go down real well."

Breaking news, as usual, but a little more intense than it used to be. I looked around. The decor comforted me, to some extent. Memories flooded by of my mom and I picking out new curtains, bringing in a new couch, finding an oak end table on ebay. Plush carpet was beneath my feet, and the comforting hum of electricity was present.

I brushed back my hair with a few fingers, and almost jumped when the phone rang.

"April?" my mom said into the receiver. She threw a glance at me and mouthed, "David." I shook my head. "She's not available right now, David. Hmm? She's been awfully tired lately; she's taking a nap. Yes, dear. Of course I'll tell her." She carefully hung up the phone and stared at me.

"Yes?" I sighed.

"That David boy has been calling quite a bit lately. Anything I should know about?"

"Not really."

She looked at me for a second more. "If you say so, dear."

I got up. "If you'll excuse me, I think I actually will take a nap."

My feet softly padded through the hallways as I made my way to my room. Maybe I shouldn't be giving up my conscious time at home for sleep, but I needed it. The door slid open at a brief touch of my hand, and I collapsed on top of my bed. My life was a mess. All because of Senna, but what the hell could I do about it at this point? Simply relish the time I got to live in my own clothes and sleep in my own bed.

Close the eyes, April, I commanded myself. Get some rest. Don't worry about the stress. _ Don't think._

I don't know how much had passed before I felt something on my face. Blearily, I opened those eyes that were so hard to close, and saw David's face.

"I was worried," he said simply.

"You're obsessive," I said grumpily, sitting up. "How'd you get in?"

"Window."

"Remind me to lock it when you get out. And why were you worried? I'm just taking a nap."

"Is it too much for you over there?" he asked abruptly.

Why is it now that those eyes will make me respond to anything? A few months ago I would have been able to answer with a flippant yes, but now... I don't know. After how many times he has cleaned up my puke over there, it's different. And over there, it's his kid that kicks in my stomach and makes my bladder feel like it has giant holes in it.

"It's hell, David. You should know that by now."

Better than a flippant yes; yet still slightly guarded so that the tears would not slip from my eyes.

"Then forget about it," he said softly. "Let's go for a walk."

He looked so serious. But isn't that David? He lives for this sort of thing.

"Where?" I asked.

"On the lake. You want to?"

"I guess."

I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair. "Do I look okay?"

"Yeah. C'mon, let's go."

He headed for the window, but I caught the sleeve of his shirt. "I need my coat. It's in the main closet- I'll be right out. Okay?"

Looking bewildered, he nodded.

I plucked out my favorite jacket, and threw a call back at my mother. "I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back by curfew."

"That's fine dear," her voice drifted as I headed out the door to David's car.

* * *

Back in Everworld. Back to being pregnant. The child kicked me vigorously.

Or at least I thought it did.

Then I realized that the poking was coming from the outside, not the inside.

My eyes followed down my expanded stomach to find a long, elegant finger jabbing me.

"Demeter," I said irritably, "what the hell are you doing?"

The fertility goddess stood up. "I'm inspecting your child. It seems to be doing fine. Do you want to know what gender it is?"

"No," I said, even as she said, "A girl."

"Gee, thanks," I said grumpily. "I guess that helps somewhat with the name picking."

"I think you should name it Penelope," Demeter said thoughtfully, stroking her chin. "That's a nice name. It sounds quite a bit like Persephone, and you know, if she hadn't suggested anything to me in the first place, you would still be a non-blooming virgin teenager."

"I think that calls for a great reason *not* to name my child that," I retorted. "Other than the fact that it's a really ugly name."

"It's good enough for Penelope Cruz," Christopher chimed in, appearing in the doorway. "And she's pretty hot."

"I don't know, she's built like a toothpick," Jalil said critically.

"Who?" David said sharply, barging in behind the other two.

"Penelope Cruz. Did you see _Woman on Top_?" Christopher said glibly.

"I'm not naming my daughter Penelope!" I shouted.

"It's such a good name," Demeter said wistfully, fingering a lock of her gold-brown hair.

"You shouldn't do that, it'll give you split ends," I said spitefully, although it probably wouldn't.

She, however, didn't exactly know whether to believe me or not. The goddess immediately dropped her hand and glared at me. "You're so ungrateful."

"You're so inconsiderate," I countered.

Her eyes flashed with anger. "I can take away your life just as quickly as it was given."

**"You will do no such thing."**

A myriad of lights flashed in front of me. Then, a woman appeared. She seemed to be in her late twenties or early thirties, buxom, and auburn. She wore a dress of emerald green and was distinctly barefoot.

David was stricken, breathing, "Brigid."

"Hello, David," she said with a fleeting smile. "We meet over here. You look slightly more rugged."

"And you look younger," he replied.

"Enough with the chit-chat," Demeter snapped. "What are you doing here, Brigid?"

"You become so unmotherly when you're angry," Brigid noted calmly. She wrapped an arm around me protectively. "Why do you presume to threaten the life of one of my children?"

"I'm deeply sorry, Brigid," Demeter said stiffly. "I was not aware that she was one of your Celts."

"Did the hair the color of my gift not tip you off?" the goddess replied, arching an eyebrow. She waved her arms swiftly. "You deliberately meddled with her!"

"I was just trying to help," Demeter said sullenly.

"If it was needed, she would have gotten help from me, her own goddess," Brigid snarled. "You have violated the trust between Olympus and Eire. Did you want to start a war? The club of the Daghda could wipe out nine of you in a single stroke."

"I've no wish for war," said the other carefully.

The goddess Brigid smiled enigmatically. "Then you will not object to me taking my child back to Eire to oversee her last stage?"

Demeter resigned to agree.

"It's settled then. My child shall stay with me in Eire. After the birth of her child, I will send for her party."

Before any of us could protest, Brigid and I had disappeared from Olympus.

* * *

It was not light flying on Pegasus. No, that I was almost used to. How Brigid got me to Eire was like every atom of my body being split up and hurled everywhere imaginable. Talk about infinity in math class? This was _experiencing_ infinity. It was insanity at its limits, an eerie balance between ecstasy and torture.

It was over quickly enough. I stood with Brigid in the middle of an orchard. It smelled exactly like the inside of Bath and Body Works- beautiful smells on their own, but together so powerful that it makes you weak at the knees. The trees had gorgeous blossoms- unmistakably apple, even if one didn't live in the Midwest. It was an explosion of nature... something I don't know if I'll ever feel again.

"Welcome to the Isle of the Apples," she said pleasantly. "My home. An island separate from Eire, but just as lovely."

I grunted in reply.

"Let me show you where you shall stay."

She motioned gracefully for me to follow.

We twisted through the acres of trees. The grass rustled beneath our feet and occasional branches snapped. Eventually we reached a quaint cottage. She led me in, directed me toward the bed, and lit the fire.

"When you said my hair was the color of your gift," I said suddenly, "what did you mean?"

"I am the three-fold goddess of fire," she smiled warmly. "Fire of inspiration, hearth, and forge. Patroness of smithcraft, of poetry, and, of interest to you, motherhood and childbirth. That is why I help you, my child."

I felt a twitch in my eyebrow. "I'm not your child, you know. I don't believe in other gods. I have one god. Which is not you." Okay, so it was redundant, but who cares? I was desperately clinging to faith in her, faith-shaking Everworld.

"I thought you might feel that way," said she softly. "So did many of those who came before you. Didn't want to let go of the old, but the old didn't gel with the new.

"That is why they slipped me into the new in an acceptable way. Does it make you feel better, my child, for you to not think of me as Brigid the goddess, and instead seeing St. Brigid?"

Processing the information slowly, I replied, "Yes. Much."

"Good," said Brigid. "Now get some rest."

I closed my eyes in my warm fluffy bed. and unlike Olympus, I felt... comfortable.

* * *

"Ms. O'Brien?"

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit. "Yes, sir?" I responded in my perfect attentive student voice.

Location, location, location. US History class.

"General Sherman was from which side?" asked the teacher.

Ugh. Fifty/Fifty chance. "North."

"I'm glad _someone_ has been doing the reading," he said appreciatively.

Yeah, right. Whatever. Like anyone actually does. Just nod and smile, April. Nod and smile.

A piece of paper flitted onto my desk. I opened it up.

Hey, April, babe. What's shakin' at the young family convention? Are there other pregnant chicks there? Let me know. Oh, and talk to Dave. He's paranoid. -- Chris

"There will be a quiz tomorrow," announced the teacher. He opened his mouth to say more but the bell rang. 

I collected my books and met David at his locker. "What's up?" I said cheerfully.

He looked over his shoulder and immediately eased. "Hey, April. Brigid treating you well?"

"Yeah," I replied. "It's nice. You know, Olympus was great and all, but it felt like one of those ritzy hotels. Where she took me... the Isle of the Apples... it feels like home."

"I'm not surprised."

Something clicked in my head. "How did you know her, David?"

"I've seen her over here- in the real world."

"How is that possible?"

"I don't know, but I saw her."

His face was disturbed and withdrawn.

I reached up to smooth my hair and felt something hit the back of my neck. Hard. Not hard because of being heavy, rather due to accelerated impact. I whirled around to find an orange-blue- green object lying on the tiled floor.

Before I could inspect it closer, another one hit me on the shoulder. I snatched it before it could fall.

Nerf finger dart.

"Christopher!" I shouted. "You are _so_ in for it!"

I shot the nerf weapon back at him, only to be bombarded by five or six rapid shots of his. David started to laugh, which of course put him on the "to die" list. I snapped a finger dart at him.

"Oomph," he said injuredly. "That hurt."

The hallway was quickly littered by the colorful nerf things. Mrs. Mitchell came out of her classroom and proceeded to drag Christopher by the ear to the office. He wore his dumb idiot grin the entire way.

How different we've become, April, I thought to myself. Two entirely different lives.

* * *

"Rise and shine," sang Brigid, ripping the blesséd blankets from my shoulders. "It's time for breakfast."

The room was sunny and warm, and a few bowls sat steaming on the table.

"What are we having?" I asked, padding over to the meal.

"Apple porridge," she informed me and pulled out a chair. "Eat up. The child should be well nourished before it finds the world."

I put a spoonful of the soupy looking concoction in my mouth and swished it around. _Not bad,_ I thought. "How long will it be before I have the baby?"

"Not long, actually," she said thoughtfully. She waved her spoon at me. "I'm glad you like it, by the way."

I blushed. Oh yeah. That whole mind-reading thing.

"I would say you have a week or so. In Everworld, babies have a way of choosing when they want to come."

"I thought I'd have at least a month left."

She shook her head. "In Everworld, things don't always go as expected. You might give some serious thought to the name of the lass."

I finished eating my porridge and I was still hungry. "I could really go for some waffles right about now."

"That sounds good," she agreed, and all of a sudden this little green thing appeared on the table with a box of Eggos. She picked up the box, and the creature chirped, "Leggo my eggo!"

"Hush, Tynan," she sighed. She patted him on the head. "Go back to your little hut."

"Can't I at least have a waffle?" Tynan asked indignantly.

She opened the package and tore off a corner. After toasting it with a small fire in her palm, she handed it over to him. "Goodbye, Tynan."

"Thank you, Lady Goddess," he beamed, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Tynan," she smiled warmly. "He's a leprechaun but he's a bit small. I took him in for the orchard. He's quite useful."

She toasted a waffle for me. I savagely bit into it, and it was wonderful. Something that reminded me of home.

"How are you in both places at once, and none of the others are?"

"Ahhh," she said solemnly. "I was wondering when you were going to ask me that." She leaned back in her chair. "It's quite simple, actually. When they integrated me into the new religion, I received new ties to the old world. I lost much of my powers over there after being demoted to a saint, but I could still be there. But I also could be Brigid the goddess over here." She shrugged. "It is worthwhile for me to divide my energies."

"And the others... they can't do that?"

"They can," she said slowly. "Or at least they could. But most of them have been dismissed as non-true gods in the old world. When there is no one who believes in you, it's difficult to exist."

"You make much more sense than the gods at Olympus did," I commented, grinning.

"Ach, those Greeks spend too much time dressing themselves and not enough time thinking," she winked. "Let's go for a walk, get a bit of exercise. The fresh air will be good for the babe."

* * *

"Keely," she suggested, reaching up to a tree and snapping off some fruit. "Means beautiful."

"It sounds too much like 'eely.' Which does not exactly evoke pretty mental images."

I was barefoot. Brigid had suggested it, saying that it added to the experience. Perhaps it did- the grass certainly felt good.

"Maura, Meara, Moira, Muierann," she added, ticking them off on her fingers.

"Nah. Just not doing it for me."

She grunted and took a bite of the apple. "Those were good names, too. Oh well. I know that when you hear the one, it will set off an orchestra in your mind."

The trees were everywhere. Surrounded by wholesomeness, and it was great. "Maybe when I get out of college I'll move to a farm," I said wistfully.

"That would be lovely," she nodded. "I will have to visit you when you do."

She felt like an aunt to me. Someone older who had experienced what I was going through, and I could talk to her easier than my mother.

"When will you send for David?"

She waved her hand in dismissal. "David's already on his way on that sissy Greek flying horse. He can't sit still when he could be doing something."

We looked at each other, and erupted in giggles.

* * *

Brigid, Tynan, and I were eating when an enormous clatter sounded outside.

"That would be David," Brigid said with utter calmness, sipping at some juice.

"I'll get the door," Tynan offered.

"Thank you, dear."

The diminutive leprechaun opened the entrance. "If you wouldn't mind taking off those muddy boots, Mister David, I would hate to have to clean up the cottage floor."

He obliged and came in.

"And could you please send that infernal Greek creature to the end of the isle? He's quite smelly," said Brigid.

Pegasus left of his own accord.

I gestured towards the chair next to me in silent invitation for him to sit. He accepted.

"Things going smoothly at home camp?" I asked pleasantly.

"Jalil and Christopher are about ready to maim each other," he said with a mouthful of food. "I had to get away."

"They probably _will_ maim each other now that you're not there."

"They'll work out a few problems," Brigid shrugged. "Pass me a potato, Tynan."

Tynan picked up a potato, walked across the table, and placed it on her plate. He turned bright red when she rubbed his hair in affection.

"You're welcome," he warbled, flustered.

"I'm tired," I spoke up. "I'll turn in."

"Anything wrong?" David asked in a panic.

"Of course not, dear," Brigid said amusedly. "You'd be tired, too, if you had a 7 pound ham in your body."

* * *

"Your library card number?" asked the librarian pointedly.

Breaking news. "628," I said after a second.

"A baby name book," she said suspiciously. "Got a bun in the oven, Ms. O'Brien?"

"It's useful in finding names when I write stories," I explained. Which it was, of course. But that's not the reason I needed it today.

"That's interesting," she said, and seemed like she actually did find it to be so. "Planning on being a writer?"

"I'm thinking of writing a screenplay," I said over my shoulder as I left.

I found myself a table at a local café and started scouring the pages.

"Perfect," I whispered.

* * *

I bolted up in bed, reeling with pain.

"It's a contraction, April," Brigid said, appearing in the corner of my bedroom.

"Is she in labor?" asked David sleepily.

"Yes. Why don't you go heat up some water for a bath, dear?"

"Okay," he said and left the room.

"What's that for?" I asked between the pain.

"Nothing. He'll just be in the way."

I labored without help until the sun came up, and then I just couldn't take it anymore. The pain was too intense- it felt like everything was wiping me out. "Drugs!" I wailed.

"Not here, April," Brigid said. "Take my hand, I will take some of the pain for you."

_Ohgodohgodohgodohgod it hurts, please make it stop, pleasepleasepleaseplease.._

"My hand, child," she said firmly.

I tentatively reached up for it.

Immediately it eased, like a wave softly crashing on the shore.

No wonder she was goddess of childbirth. She was better than drugs.

"You're going to have to push now," she instructed.

"I am pushing," I told her.

"Not like that," she said. "_Push._"

I pushed. For two _hours_. Two hours I strained my muscles, but Brigid made sure that I was not writhing in pain. David came in just about the end.

"I can see something," he said, peering over Brigid's shoulder. "Is that the head?"

"It certainly is," she crowed. "Push just a bit more, dear."

I did.

And Brigid pulled out my daughter. My gorgeous daughter. Red and screaming, but mine.

"Name?" she inquired.

"Shannon," I said.

"Shannon," David said in wonder.

"A fine Irish name," Brigid said gleefully.

I swore she did a little jig.

I held Shannon in my arms, and it was like the world was mine.

But did I want this world?

* * *

-here ends Home For Dinner Part 2: [spoon]. Watch for the final part, [knife], sometime in January. 


	3. [knife]

Home for Dinner Part 3  
[knife]  
by Rhi Marzano  
[Author's Note: A huge thankyou to Amanda, who emailed me and reminded me to get with the chapter system. :) I don't own any the lyrics to the song I use at the end. Um.. that's about my entire disclaimer. Enjoy the final part of Home for Dinner]  
  
I used to be one of those people who would be nice to the girls who got pregnant and dropped out. Nice, that is, for the first week or so. I'd forget about it until I saw the girl in question, looking miserable with ratty hair and bag under her eyes at the 7-11. Then I'd say to one of my friends, "Look at how much she's messed up her life."

Will it be different now? Now that it's happened to me?

It's not easy raising a child. Especially not in Everworld.

She looks like old pictures of me, except she's got David's hair. Dark strands framing a fair complexion. She's so sweet, so gorgeous, so perfect, so _mine_.

One mistake that I'm possessive of.

She was crying. A trigger went off in my brain as I got up and ran to her side. "Shannon," I crooned. "It's okay. Here, let's get you some breakfast."

I went to the rocking chair, propped her head in the appropriate position, and slowly rocked back and forth. Back, forth... back, forth. I closed my eyes and basked in the peace of the moment. Back, forth... back, forth.

"Morning," David said groggily, taking a seat by the table. He started cramming some porridge into his mouth, then promptly spit it out. "Hot," he explained sheepishly.

"Sometimes that happens when you heat things," I responded abstractly. Back, forth...

"No need to snip," he yawned.

It was raining again. "The apples have to get water somehow," Brigid said the last time, shrugging the matter off. There was no question that the inordinate amount of rain was the reason for the entire island being explosively green. The pattern of the rain on the roof combined with the easy swing of the chair was pleasant. Homey. Disgustingly domestic.

"I think we should go home."

My head jerked up sharply. David? Was this _him_ talking? He loved Everworld. This was his big chance for him. And for him to decide to intesnsely pursue our escape? Slightly out of character for him.

David couldn't possibly have said that. No way.

"Pardon?"

"I think," David repeated, "we should go home."

"I think that this is a novel conclusion," I said dryly.

He scratched his head sheepishly. "We'll give up on Olympus, but I don't want what goes on here... to take over our lives. We need to go home."

"How do you propose to do so?" I asked carefully. Something strange was going on here.

"We'll find Senna. And make her send us back."

"Haven't we tried that before?" I said pointedly. "What makes you think it'll work this time?"

He looked thoughtful. "We aren't working out for her like she wanted. I think she would be eager to exchange us for four newbies she could brainwash."

"Pure wishful thinking."

"I can't hurt. The worst she could do is laugh in our faces."

"And turn us into newts."

"Or cucumbers," he said somberly.

We looked at each other and started laughing.

* * *

"Leaving so soon?"

Brigid seemed disappointed. I felt badly- she had defended me froma multitude of psycho goddesses and taken me in for the remainder of my pregnancy as well as the first seven months of my child's life. I hugged her and let her hold Shannon one last time.

"I'm afraid we have to go," I said apologetically. "I'll visit you in the old world."

"Me too," David echoed.

"Visit often then. I will miss you much," she said fondly.

I hugged her again, holding back any tears. Then David, Shannon, and I split the thick air through the damp orchard, making our way to a harbor where a small sized boat awaited us.

"Ahoi hoi," bellowed someone on board. "Are ye the ones Brigid wants us to take to Greece?"

"That's us," David confirmed.

"Come on and board, then."

The captain- at least I'm fairly positive he was the owner of that position- was round and rather robust. "It's not a fast little boat, but it gets ye where ye need to be," he said cheerfully. He waved me into a cabin room.

I set Shannon down on the bed and sniffed her makeshift diaper. Nothing monumental, although I was expecting a rather large and stinky delivery to occur sometime later.

"What's your name?" David's slightly muffled voice asked out on the desk.

"Well," the captain said evasively, "I've been called a lot of things."

I crept closer to the door to hear better.

"Like?" David challenged.

"I'm not gonna lie to ye, boyo," said the other frankly. "I'm the Daghda."

"Impossible," he scoffed. "Ka Anor ate the Daghda not too long ago."

He who claimed to be the Daghda grinned. "Well, that's actually an interesting story. He swallowed me whole, because I'm a bit spicy, ye see. I was so unsettling in his stomach that he regurgitated me about a week later."

"Ka Anor threw you up?" David said incredulously.

"That he did. But I've lost most of my powers," the Daghda said regretfully. "That's why I haven't come back to my people. It's slightly embarressing."

"So now you just sail around?"

"Hit it right on the head," the Daghda agreed. "It's very stress-relieving."

"How long do you think it will take to get to Olympus?"

"On this boat? Twenty days or so, providing we have good weather. We might have to stop in the land of the Gauls for supplies, though."

"I can live with that," said David with satisfaction.

"Good. Would you like some ham?"

* * *

It's really weird going back to the real world. My time there is usually pretty broken up. Shannon wakes up at the first signs of dawn, and there's no guarantee that she won't awaken a few times during the night. I get five times as many news headlines as everyone else now. Fair? I think not.

"We'll be back in Greece in about a month," I told Jalil by my locker. God, it felt like I hadn't seen him in forever.

"Senna's already there," he informed me, his dark brow furrowing. "She's putting the move on Christopher since David's definitely got other things on his mind."

"Great," I said, rolling my eyes. "Have you broached the subject of going back at all with her?"

He shook his head. "I thought it would be better if you and David talked to her when you arrived."

"Whatever. I'm going to be late for Econ. Talk to you later."

Econ was boring. Why did I have to be back for an Econ lecture? Sometimes my Everworld sleep schedule is terribly inconvenient when it comes to experiencing the exciting parts of my real life.

Oh, well. Soon, if all went well, that wouldn't matter anymore.

* * *

Have I mentioned how much I hate boats?

It's not just a casual dislike. It is an intense hatred. You want to know why people were afraid of falling off the edge of the world? Because being on a boat was so traumatizing that it needed to be downplayed by something even more horrifying.

At least, that was my personal take on it as I was being violently ill off the edge of the deck.

"What I wouldn't give for my harp right now to summon up a bit more wind," the Daghda said wistfully. He substituted a tankard of ale, as if that was going to magically restore his powers.

"No more wind," I said, gritting my teeth. Another wave of nasuea hit me. "This is plenty."

"Ye aren't a very sea worthy creature," the old man commented. "Maybe ye should have flown."

"Brigid hates Pegasus and the instantaneous transport isn't good for babies to do too often," David threw back over his shoulder. He was in charge of the boat for now. He had to do something or he'd go crazy.

"Pish, posh. It's safe for once."

"Shannon's already been through it once," I reminded him, "when Brigid brought me to the isle in the first place. I don't want to risk it."

"Fine," he said, huffing.

I suppose being a god for several centuries turns you slightly odd.

With all the Daghda's stories and cooking, the twenty days passed quickly. There turned out to be no need to stop in France, even though I had a sneaking suspicion that he had only wanted to stop there to get some good cheese anyhow. Before we knew it we were on the shore of Greece, and the former god pointed vaguely in the direction of Olympus.

"Have fun, kids," he chuckled. "Good luck with the witch."

* * *

I'd almost forgotten how magnificent Olympus was. The architecture was intricate, to a point overdone, but nonetheless astounding.

"April! Davideus!" shrieked someone.

I scanned for the source of the voice, and Persephone came skipping towards us from a pillar.

Her eyes immediately fell on Shannon. "This is the baby?" she said excitedly. "She's soooooo cute!"

"She hasn't had her shots yet," said Christopher from behind. Jalil was beside him. "I don't think you should touch her. She might get polio or something."

"Hey, guys," David greeted.

"How's Eire?" Jalil inquired.

"Great," he replied.

"Lovely," I put in.

Shannon made some sort of gurgle.

Jalil inspected her for a moment with a disturbed expression on his face. "She definitely looks like yours," he said to David finally.

"Shannon," I announced, "needs a nap. We'll work things out with Senna tonight."

David nodded briskly.

"I'll show you where you can stay," Persephone piped up, beaming.

She led me through the hallways of Olympus and paused in front of a room different than the one I used the last time.

"This room has a cradle for your daughter," she told me. "If you need anything else, I'll be around."

Shannon seemed unfased by the change of scenery. She went to sleep easily and the notion of a nap suddenly appealed to me as well.

I hadn't had the covers pulled around me two minutes when David barged into the room.

"That bastard has the nerve to like you," he growled.

"What?"

"Jalil," he said impatiently. "Likes you. Just told me, in fact."

Jalil? Me? At one time I liked him. But Everworld destroyed any of those inclinations.

"David," I began.

"You're mine, okay? That's my daughter," he said, jabbing a finger in the air. "He's not going to take you away from me."

"David-"

"I suppose if you really like him," he said with resignation, "I'll back down. But I won't be happy about it."

"David-"

"Well, if you're happy, I guess I'd be happy. You and Jalil just go on and live happily ever after."

"David!" I shouted in exasperation.

He looked startled. "What?"

"I don't even like Jalil like that," I sighed, "so stop getting your toga in a twist."

"Oh."

Then he blushed.

Not just a bit of a blush, but his entire face turned beet red.

"That whole, um, you being my possession thing," he said nervously. "I didn't really mean that, er-"

"It's okay," I assured him. I leaned up and lightly kissed his cheek. "Go talk to Jalil and apologize for being an ass."

"Okay," he agreed.

"Got him wrapped around your finger, don't you, April."

Senna.

She's usually got this haunting beauty, but today it was marred by the lust for power in her eyes. Maybe it had always been that way, and I just hadn't noticed.

"Hello, sister dear," I said coldly.

"I'm going to go get Christopher and Jalil," David informed me and slipped out of the room.

"How is my niece?" she asked, leaning over the crib.

"Touch her," I said warningly, "and die."

She laughed. "God, April. You really hate me that much."

"As much as you hate me."

"Oh, I doubt that. Look at you now. No longer Daddy's perfect girl," she sneered.

"At least I'm not totally evil," I retorted.

"At least I didn't compromise my morals!"

"At least I had some to begin with!"

We fell silent after that.

"Senna," I spoke up, "I understand if you like this hellhole. But we don't want to be here anymore. We've already screwed it up by introducing electricity and gunpowder. Soon we'll screw it up beyond recognition, and it won't be the same Everworld that you wanted to conquer. Send us back."

"Please," David implored from the doorway.

"It's in your best interests," Jalil said convincingly.

"What he said," said Christopher, not as convincingly.

The only thing you could hear for minutes was the rustling of Shannon against the blankets.

"Alright," she said finally. "I'll send you home. Right now."

It was almost too hard to believe.

But she was serious.

"We're going home," I whispered gleefully to David, and he just smiled back at me.

I swooped down and brought my daughter back up. I swung around in a circle, laughing, crazy because this was finally coming to an end.

"She can't go with you, April."

I stopped dead in my tracks.

"She's of Everworld," Senna said smugly. "She'll have to stay."

"...Will you take her to Brigid, then?" I asked. Leaving my baby... but... it wasn't like she was really mine in the first place. If she was with Brigid, I could rest easier.

"Yes," she said, and expectantly held open her arms. I felt like I was tearing off my arm as I handed her over.

Senna balanced Shannon on her hips. "Brace yourself," she warned with a mocking smile.

The universe began to rip apart.

I kept my eyes focused on Shannon.

The last thing I saw of Everworld was my half-sister slitting the throat of my child.

And the last thing I heard was my scream.

* * *

The pillars of Olympus were warping, the ground was melting, and it felt like my body was being severed, but I didn't care because all I could see was the blood dripping from Shannon's neck.

All I could do was cry.

_You wanted out,_ said Senna's voice in my mind. _Guess this hellhole had a hold on you, too._

* * *

It took me three weeks to come out of my room.

It took me six months to be able to look at David and not cry.

And I don't think I'll ever be over it.

Don't it always seem to go... that you don't know what you've got til it's gone?

[end] 


End file.
